2>79 N<3t<i 18/ KURT WEILL: A SONG COMPOSER IN WARTIME WITH THREE RECITALS OF SELECTED WORKS OF MOZART, STRAUSS, BACH, SCHUBERT, AND OTHERS DISSERTATION Presented to the Graduate Council of the University of North Texas in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS By Susan Beth Masters Wyatt, B.M., M.M, Denton, Texas August, 1993 2>79 N<3t<i 18/ KURT WEILL: A SONG COMPOSER IN WARTIME WITH THREE RECITALS OF SELECTED WORKS OF MOZART, STRAUSS, BACH, SCHUBERT, AND OTHERS DISSERTATION Presented to the Graduate Council of the University of North Texas in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS By Susan Beth Masters Wyatt, B.M., M.M, Denton, Texas August, 1993 Wyatt, Susan Beth Masters, Kurt Weill: A Song Composer in Wartime with Three Recitals of Selected Works of Mozart, Strauss, Bach, Schubert, and Others. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), August, 1993, 170 pp., 46 musical examples, bibliography, 79 titles. During World War II the composer Kurt Weill was in America writing for the Broadway stage. On August 27, 1943, he became an American citizen and was eager to volunteer his talent to the American war effort. Among his many wartime musical contributions are fourteen songs, all with war-related texts, which can be divided into three distinct groups: the American propaganda songs (8), the German propaganda songs (2), and the Walt Whitman songs (4). It is the purpose of this paper to present a comparative analysis of a representative group of these war songs (two from each group) in order to illustrate Weill's musical versatility. The American propaganda songs were written in a purely popular song style; sung by Broadway actors; directed toward an American audience; with texts by the Broadway lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II and the Hollywood movie executive Howard Dietz. The German propaganda songs were written in a cabaret song style; sung in German by Weill's wife, Lotte Lenya; directed toward a German audience behind enemy lines; with texts by the German playwright Bertolt Brecht and the German cabaret writer Walter Mehring. The Four Walt Whitman Songs were written in a classical art song style; sung by classically trained singers; directed toward a general audience; with texts by the nineteenth-century American poet Walt Whitman. After an initial discussion of Weill's early musical training and career in Europe, his exile from Germany, his reception in America, and his contributions to the American war effort, each group of war songs is analyzed musically, textually, vocally, in reference to the audience to whom it was directed, and with regards to vocal performance practice. Comparisons and conclusions are then drawn. Kurt Weill's war songs are valuable for musical study, both in terms of examining his ability to write equally well in various musical styles and as an opportunity to learn more about music and society during the turbulent years' of World War II. Copyright by Susan Beth Masters Wyatt 1993 111 Tape recordings of all performances submitted as dissertation requirements are on deposit in the University of North Texas Library. IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, and especially Mr. David Farneth and Mr. Mario Mercado, for their kind assistance. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS V RECITAL PROGRAMS viii LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES xii INTRODUCTION 1 Chapter I. KURT WEILL AND WORLD WAR II 3 A. Early Musical Training and Ferruccio Busoni B. Exile From Germany C. Arrival and Reception in America D. The Americanization of Weill and Lenya E. Weill and the War Effort 1. Weill's Contributions to Patriotic Organizations 2. The War Songs II. THE AMERICAN PROPAGANDA SONGS 34 A. The Lunch Time Follies B. Oscar Hammerstein II C. Analysis of "Buddy on the Nightshift" 1. The Text 2. The Music D. Fight for Freedom E. Howard Dietz F. Analysis of "Schickelgruber" 1. The Text 2. The Music III. THE GERMAN PROPAGANDA SONGS 65 A. The Office of War Information B. Lotte Lenya C. Bertolt Brecht D. Analysis of "Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?" 1. The Text 2. The Music VI E. Walter Mehring F. Analysis of "Wie lange noch?" 1. The Text 2. The Music IV. FOUR WALT WHITMAN SONGS 111 A. Genesis B. Walt Whitman C. Paul Robeson D. Analysis of "Oh Captain! My Captain!" 1. The Text 2. The Music E. William Home F. Analysis of "Come Up From the Fields, Father" 1. The Text 2. The Music V. COMPARISON OF THE THREE GROUPS OF WAR SONGS 151 A. Influences on Weill's Songs: The Singers, the Lyricists, the Audiences and Busoni B. Similarities and Differences C. Significance of the Songs in Weill's Output D. Conclusions APPENDIX 163 BIBLIOGRAPHY 165 vn North Texas State University School of Music Graduate Voice Recital SUSAN MASTERS, Soprano Assisted by Rose Marie Chisholm, Piano Monday, June 23, 1986 5:00 p.m. Concert Hall I Chi sa, chi sa qual sia, K.582 Mozart II Cuatro Madrigales Amatorios Rodrigo Con que la lavarl? Vos me matSsteis De ddnde venfs, amore? De los cilamos vengo, madre III The Blessed Virgin's Expostulation Purcell Intermission IV Einerlei Strauss Muttertandelei Rote Rosen Fur funfzehn Pfennige V Voyage a Paris Poulenc H6tel Reine des Mouettes C Air Vif VI Four Traditional American Songs. arr. Michael Moores Single Girl Cripple Creek Red Rosy Bush Child of God Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts Vlll North Texas State University School of Music Graduate Voice Recital SUSAN MASTERS. Soprano Assisted by Rose Marie Chishoim, Piano Lee Lattlmore. Flute Gwen McLean, Flute Monday, April 13, 1987 5:00 p.m. Concert Hall Music of Austrian and German Composers I Ich folge dir gleichfalU Bach (St. John's Passion) Aus Liebe will inein Helland sterben (St. Matthew's Passion) Schate konnen sicher weiden (Cantata #208) II Als Luise die Briefe Mozart Warnung Oiseaux. si tous les ans Dans un bois solitaire Alma grande e nodi 1 core (Concert aria) Hi Auf dem Wasser zu singen Schubert Oie Sterne Lied der Mignon Seligkeit IV Biumengruss Wo'F Oie Sprode Ofe Bekehrte Ou denkst mit einem Fadchen Liebe mir its Busen Berlin lis Llcht-Song Weill Oer genugsame Liebhaber Schoenberg Bilbao-Song Weill Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Ooctor of Musical Arts IX u* i« 3 :«i i k'ii!3::n r4i vinsmiiwiESsa U J presents Qfadoate Redtal SUSAN MASTERS WYATT, soprano osiMed bjr: Rose Marie Qrisholm, piano Monday, April 15,1991 &30 pan. Concert Hall jubilate (Motet K. 165) Mozart Ich atmet' men linden Duft Mahler Hans und Grahe Erimenmg Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht? m The Lilacs Rachmaninov Sweetfy Sang a Gentle Nitfuingaie Glier A FU^U of Passing Clouds Rinuky-Konakov By Chance in the Ballroom Tchaikovjky Look, Dotting G'ui Daxgamtzhsky i IV AlAmor Obradors iCorazdn, porqui pasdis- B Majo celoso Con amores, la mi madn Del Cabetio mds sua! Chiquittta la ffovia Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts University of North Texas Cofogii of mm presents A Graduate Lecture Recital SUSAN MASTERS WYATT, soprano assisted by Rose Marie Chisholm, piano Robert Adams, bass-baritone Monday, June 7,1993 5:00 p.m. Recital Hall KURT WEILL: A SONG COMPOSER IN WARTIME Buddy on the Nighuhift .... Weai/Haramerstein ^f^Sruber WeflVDietz Una was bekam des Soldaten Weib? Weill/Brecht mimgcnoch? Weill/Mehring Oh Captam! My Captain! Wefll/Whitman Robert Adams, bass-baritone Come Up From the Fields, Father Weill/Whitman Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts XI LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES Example Page 1. "Buddy on the Nightshift," measures 1-4 41 2. "Buddy on the Nightshift," measures 1-12 42 3. "Buddy on the Nightshift," measures 4-5, 44-45, vocal line 43 4. "Buddy on the Nightshift," measures 25-28 44 5. "Buddy on the Nightshift," measures 17-20 44 6. "Buddy on the Nightshift," measures 41-42 45 7. "Buddy on the Nightshift," measures 11-12, 27-28 46 8. "Buddy on the Nightshift," measures 79-80 47 9. "Buddy on the Nightshift," measures 4-8, 44-48 48 10. "Buddy on the Nightshift," measures 16-17, 47-48 49 11. "Schickelgruber," measures 1-3 59 12. "Schickelgruber," measures 4-11 59-60 13. "Schickelgruber," measures 40-43. 61 14. "Schickelgruber," measures 86-93 62 15. "Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?," measures 3-13, vocal line 86 16. "Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?," measures 1-3 87 17. "Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?," measures 4-10 88 18. "Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?," measures 28-33 89 XII 19. "Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?," measures 22-27 90 20. "Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?," measures 36-42 91 21. "Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?," measures 9-10, 17-18, 25-26, 41-44, 44-46 (Lotte Lenya's recording) 93-95 22. "Und was bekam des Soldaten Weib?," measures 3-5, 20-21, 46-48 (Teresa Stratas' recording) 95 23. "Wie lange noch?," measures 1-9 102 24. "Wie lange noch?," measures 14-17 102 25. "Wie lange noch?," measures 18-20 103 26. "Wie lange noch?," measures 24-26 103 27. "Wie lange noch?," measures 26-33 104 28. "Wie lange noch?," measures 38-47 105 29. "Je ne t'aime pas" and "Wie lange noch?," measures 1-9, vocal line. 106 30. "Je ne t'aime pas" and "Wie lange noch?," measures 34-37 107 31.